Mold Remediation in Oak Park, MI

Hey friends, Jer here.

When some of my family moved to Oak Park from Ferndale a little over a decade ago, I had a feeling things were about to shift in the formerly dry (no alcohol allowed to be served) suburb outside of Detroit.

Oak Park — a city of about 29,000 people across five square miles in southern Oakland County — has been racking up a series of new openings and investments.

Stuff with a real neighborhood feel, and making connecting the community a priority with things like double protected bike lanes on Nine Mile.

As nearby communities have become more expensive or ran out of space, Oak Park has been a place where people have landed.

One of the latest to open is Hansen's Hall. Situated in nearly 75 year old former auto service center, the 2,800 square foot spot focused on beer and cocktails has already attracted early crowds.

In 2015, the city voted to allow alcohol and it's been at the root of a retail and restaurant upswing.

​"We ​were ​welcomed ​by ​the ​city ​government ​and ​by ​the ​neighbors," said co-owner Shawn Kelly when I talked to him. "They ​didn't ​want ​to ​slap ​a ​Walmart ​down ​on ​the ​corner ​and ​say, ​'deal ​with ​it, ​neighbors.' ​They ​wanted ​to ​make ​sure ​that ​it's ​people ​with ​like-minded ​goals ​and ​aspirations ​of ​community ​and ​wanting ​to ​do ​stuff ​together."

Their liquor license is one of possibly more than 20 newly issued in Oak Park, lowering costs. In Ferndale, Kelly says, a liquor license costs north of $60,000; where in Oak Park, it's a fraction of that, making it easier to start up.

One thing that the city of Oak Park also did to help is rewrite outdated rules around parking minimums. That's something that many people wish would happen in bigger cities.

Under the old rules, a building would have had to be bulldozed to make room for the previously required 36 parking spots.

Instead, Hansen's Hall can have its 60 seats and event space full (total capacity of 100), but there often are just a few cars in the parking lot, says Kelly, because so many neighbors walk or bike there. "By ​design, ​we ​wanted ​it ​to ​be ​a ​neighborhood ​spot."

Hansen's doesn't serve food. Logistically, it keeps things simple — but it is also in part due to places like Pie-Sci being right across the street.

The unique pizza joint started in Detroit's Woodbridge neighborhood, but expanding to Oak Park was a natural fit for their creative menu with pies like the "Fig Lebowsky," "Detroit Brussels Harder," "We So Corny," and "Take Bahn Mi."

In fact, the owner of Pie-Sci was key in recruiting Shawn Kelly and his co-owner Janelle Anderson to the space.

I'm told it's been a strong opening after starting their journey rehabbing the space in the beginning of 2023.

Shawn told me that he "wants Hansen's Hall to be an extension of your living room," and if that was the goal — I think they did well.

Here's a look at the drink menu from when I visited.

You can find Hansen's Hall online here and at 8150 West Nine Mile in Oak Park, Michigan. Open every day at 4pm.

Let's celebrate 1500+ episodes of the podcats together!

It's crazy to think that our show, often one of the top 100 daily news podcasts in America, has been able to not only keep going, but keep evolving.

So join us for Happy Hour at The Congregation in Detroit on October 17th — 4pm until at least 7pm. We'll have some fun, enjoy your choice of drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, no pressure), and catch up.

You can sign up for the event here. It's free, but I ask for an RSVP to help with planning. Look forward to seeing you!

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Remember that you are somebody,

-Jer

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For the second time in a week, a metro Detroit library is closed due to pest control issues.

The Oak Park Public Library is temporarily closed amid concerns found in an inspection Tuesday, the library announced on Facebook. Staff brought in a pest control company to address the issue, according to the post.

"Given customer concerns and OSHA recommendations on the topic, the City of Oak Park Public Library conducted a thorough inspection of the library facility today," the post read. "During inspection, some concerns were noted, and a professional pest control company has been contacted to evaluate the need for further action."

On Tuesday afternoon, a library patron and staff member saw insects on two chairs in the library's computer lab area, according to information emailed from Oak Park spokeswoman Brittany Toth. The library immediately closed and removed the chairs from the building, according to the email. Pest control later confirmed the insects in question were bedbugs, according to the email.

The library remained closed Wednesday as a pest control company inspected and cleared the building, according to the email. The building will undergo a pest control treatment and cleaning Wednesday before reopening to the public Thursday, the email said.

"Although not required, out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to preventively treat and professionally clean the facility prior to reopening," according to the email. "We feel that taking every available action to ensure our public spaces are safe, comfortable and accessible for both our staff and community members goes without question here in the City of Oak Park."

Pests, particularly bedbugs, are not a new issue at libraries in metro Detroit or nationwide. Libraries across metro Detroit have had to deal with this issue over the years, some implementing prevention protocols to help keep the bugs at bay.

Earlier this week, the Royal Oak Public Library reopened after a brief closure amid insect reports.

The library closed Saturday after bugs were reported to have come out of a DVD case returned to the library. Staff then brought in a pest control company for an inspection and the library was cleared to reopen by Monday afternoon. The library later said a cockroach had been found.

More:Educators' Night offers new teaching and learning opportunities in Midtown Detroit

Both Oak Park and Royal Oak libraries are part of a network of metro Detroit libraries called The Library Network, where library cardholders can get reciprocal privileges at member libraries, including checking out books.

The Ferndale Area District Library, which is a member of the network, does quarterly inspections and regularly checks items coming into the library to prevent infestations, Library Director Jordan Wright said Wednesday. The library works with a company using a bedbug-trained dog for the inspections, Wright said.

Berkley Public Library Director Matt Church said Wednesday that staff keep an eye out for potential issues, though the library doesn't conduct formal inspections with a pest control company.

Similarly, the nearby Huntington Woods Library doesn't work with a pest control company for formal inspections but staff are always checking for issues, Library Director Deb Hemmye said Wednesday.

A request for comment was left Wednesday with the Michigan Library Association.

More:Dutch Girl Donuts extends hours, brings back 24-hour service

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.

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An early morning fire in Oak Park took out prominent streetwear business the Wealthy Brand. The cause remains under investigation and the businesses in the area say the damage is widespread.

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OAK PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Thursday early morning fire in Oak Park took out prominent streetwear business the Wealthy Brand. The cause remains under investigation and the businesses in the area say the damage is widespread.

According to the Oak Park Public Safety Department, at around 2:40 a.m., officers were dispatched to the Wealthy Clothing Store on W. Nine Mile Road near Pinecrest Drive on the report of a fire. The response time was an estimated three minutes.

See the surveillance video in the player below

Upon arriving on scene, officers observed the business to be fully engulfed in flames extending out the front entrance. No injuries were sustained.

The owner, Rashad Hosea, woke up in the middle of the night to the devastating news.

“It was like a death, like getting a call about a death in the family 'cause this is definitely my baby," Hosea said.

Hosea started the Wealthy Brand in 2016. After seeing success, he opened up his Oak Park space in 2018.

Edward Sertage owns the business next door, Woodshed Studios, a studio and music space that has served local artists for three decades now. He says having the Wealthy Brand in the community has been a great addition to the area.

“I’ve seen this area get developed a lot in the last just 10 years and it’s really a shame that (the fire) had to happen," Sertage said. “It was good to see them successful and, you know, I really feel for them, for us I’m not gonna say it’s an easy road... but for them, that’s a total loss.”

Woodshed Studios has water and smoke damage and will remain closed for the time being, setting them back financially.

Meanwhile, Hosea has to consider completely rebuilding his location or finding a new space. His website will remain open with the inventory he has left.

Anyone with any additional information regarding this incident can contact Sgt. Green of the Investigations Bureau at 248-691-7512.

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